The country’s largest trade union and two union groupings will be meeting for the first time on Thursday to discuss how they can work together in the first major step towards bridging the historical rift between them.
The General Workers’ Union, the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions and Forum would exchange views in a meeting moderated by industrial relations expert Edward Zammit, GWU general secretary Tony Zarb said.
Unity between the three union blocs could pave the way to set up a long talked about Trades Union Council that would give unions a stronger voice and bargaining power during strategic negotiations with the government, he said.
Mr Zarb said he did not want to jump the gun by speaking about the setting up of the council because all union blocs had to first agree on the way forward. Thursday’s meeting was the first move towards that goal and the rest would have to be taken “step-by-step”, he said.
In April, Forum joined the ranks of the European Trade Union Confederation after the CMTU, which was already a member as was the GWU, withdrew its objection to such affiliation. The CMTU’s initial objections to Forum joining the European confederation were based on the desire to improve its relations with the GWU before opening the doors to another confederation as an ETUC affiliate.
Historically, politics has driven a wedge between unions, with the GWU having strong links with the Labour Party and Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, the biggest union within the CMTU, perceived as being more sympathetic to the Nationalist Party, although it always denies it.
Real trouble among the unions erupted in 2004 when they had tried to reach a tripartite social pact incorporating the unions, employers and the government. The GWU had opposed the proposed plan and the UĦM backed it.
Following that, attempts were made to establish the Trades Union Council but these ended in failure. There was also a spat between the Malta Union of Teachers and the CMTU, of which it formed part, leading it to pull out and now forms part of Forum.